Our nation’s criminal justice system is incredibly corrupt and puts youth at a major disadvantage by implementing extreme sentences for young people, especially individuals of color from low-income backgrounds. Since the “Tough-On Crime” era of the 90s, which painted racist narratives about youth of color, state legislatures passed laws and requirements for mandatory minimum sentences, which made it easier for teenagers to be tried as adults. This phenomena continues to occur in most states, with African American children being disproportionately affected.
The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY) is a national nonprofit that works to dismantle these inequities within the juvenile justice system. The organization specifically focuses on working to eliminate life-without-parole sentences for individuals under the age of 18 through advocacy, legal work, partnerships, education, and outreach. CFSY builds campaigns to support the bans of these harsh sentences and educate decision makers. They also work to construct legal teams and resources for these children and their families, work with policymakers to place bans on these sentences, and educate parole boards on these issues within the juvenile justice system. CFSY also goes beyond these strategies by working with the Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network and working directly with the incarcerated individuals and their families in order to provide support and help them advocate for themselves.
Since CFSY’s founding in 2009, the organization has garnered plenty of support and momentum, leading to an increase in the number of states that ban life without parole. Additionally, the Supreme Court has stepped up several times to aid in this effort, leading to the exoneration of hundreds of children and the shortening of sentences for thousands of others. CSFY operates on the principle that “No Child is Born Bad” and works to debunk and eliminate racist crime theories, while still allowing children to understand the impact of their actions and give them the appropriately assigned sentence that will allow them to rehabilitate in the most effective way.
CSFY is a truly impactful organization with countless ways to get involved - donate, join initiatives to provide resources for exonerees, join events, amplify and share information about CSFY, mobilize support for a change in legislation or share your story if you are someone who has been impacted by this phenomena. CSFY has already made a tremendous impact in its 13 years of operation, helping it continue its mission to dismantle inequity within the juvenile justice system by seeing the resources linked below.
CSFY Website: https://cfsy.org
Sign up for the CSFY Mailing List
Make a Donation
Contact CSFY
Other info
Volunteer for CSFY
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